Would you buy a drone?

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No one has been convicted yet. The case was transferred to the Crown Court and is still in progress.

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As I said above, the prosecution is continuing. The case was forecast to take three weeks. Until there are convictions the persons charged are presumed to be innocent. That does not necessarily mean that they are innocent but our law gives them a presumption of innocence in order to enable a fair trial to take place. I would imagine the CPS are trying hard to get guilty verdicts.

I see that Maplin are advertising pre-owned drones, so maybe Martin is right about them being a fad. The fact that drones have serious uses will mean that there is likely to be a long-term demand for recreational use.

Four of the people charged have been acquitted and the fifth, a police officer who admitted misconduct in a public office, has been convicted and will be sentenced next week. Internal disciplinary action will be taken in respect of members of the South Yorkshire police force. This case involved helicopter surveillance, not a drone.

I agree with Monos and B Graham that only people with a valid use for them should be allowed to own them and they should be licensed.

There are too many ways they can be misused but it will probably take a serious event before anything is done about them.

Too easy for burglars to check out a property, our neighbours have one and it is quite disconcerting to see it hovering in your back garden,

I thought there were CAA limits on how close to people and property it was permissible to fly them. Almost impossible to enforce officially so it will rely on complaints which people are loath to make for fear of some sort of reprisal.

What about legitimate uses of products, Alan? I used laser pointers for teaching for many years and managed not to point them at students. The problem is the sale of of lasers people who may use them irresponsibly, particularly high power versions.

Let us know if you do find a way of nuking them Duncan. Neighbours spying on you isn’t nice.

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Thank you Duncan. 🙂

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I hope so. Jammers powerful enough to interfere with the control of a drone could affect other electronic equipment nearby.

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Thank you, Duncan – The magazine publishing industry is never far behind a new trend. The website drones on “DRONE Magazine is a high-quality monthly publication which will appeal to drone enthusiasts of all levels – from beginners who need to know the basics, right through to experts who want to build their own. The magazine is dedicated to bringing the latest information about new drone technology to the consumer in a friendly and informative manner – covering everything from reviews of new products, to the future use of these incredible machines, as well as interviews with key figures in the industry.” “Drone” is the right term for these useless articles that make very little contribution to society.

At least we won’t have to worry about swarms of drones because swarms only involve workers.

🙂

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Would that apply to any radio-controlled devices that might carry cameras, such as model planes and helicopters? How about people who generally take photos that may be seen to intrude on privacy (when I rode horses you got a good view into private property). I’m simply not sure where this stops. I would have thought it is the use you put any photos to that matters – published in print or online for example – where privacy laws should be applied.

I could not see any merit in having deliveries by drone. Can anyone explain why that should be other than a gimmick (quick delivery) and how we would tolerate incessant drone traffic dropping boxes all around. Emergency supplies might be justified – medical for example – but not normal purchases. Did the Amazon proposal come to anything more than this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38320067? https://www.recode.net/2016/12/14/13955818/amazon-drone-delivery-uk-us-faa-testing

I was not aware that model planes and helicopters were carrying cameras. I thought that hobby was more to do with engineering and control capability and normally takes place in public open spaces, not over people’s fences. I have no objection to drones being used in the same way as model aircraft, although I am not sure whether they can do aerobatics.

I agree it is what is done with the images captured that should be subject to privacy laws [which are virtually non-existent as it happens]. I think we should be entitled to enjoy our own private garden space without the intrusion of drones. As Alfa said, it is disconcerting to know that someone is directing an airborne camera in a way that would not be possible with a hand-held camera, or even with field glasses; psychologically there is a false pretence or charade that the drone’s manoeuvres are autonomous and not guided by a human, which somehow legitimises the intrusion. I would have thought flying a drone so close to people and property contravened the CAA Code of Practice.

Perhaps the novelty of playing with drones will wear off but I think there will always be certain types who get a peculiar pleasure from doing something slightly creepy. When I was a teenager it involved going round the back of bus garages and locomotive depots but all I could do was make notes and avoid a clipped ear.

The current breed of miniature and high definition wireless cameras are being fitted to all sorts of things these days, John, including model aircraft and model trains.

I know, Duncan, but model planes and trains are not likely to rise up over the garden hedge and start photographing me without a tie on as I sip my sarsaparilla.

When I went to the Abbeydale Picture House in Sheffield I used to frequent a temperance bar nearby and supped sarsaparilla. Loved it. Never seen it since, until we went to the Countryfile show at Blenheim Palace last year where a Lancashire exhibitor had bottles of concentrate for sale. Bought one and it was quite nice, but not the same as the draught version.

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The Swiss rejected Streetview.

“The Swiss rejected Streetview.”

…and they’re all armed to the teeth, so they’ll be able to use intrusive drones for target practice.

That’s right, Derek. Penknives at dawn.

Well if it’s Swiss Army penknives, expect a:
Can Opener
Small Screwdriver
Large Blade
Small Blade
Bottle Opener
Large Screwdriver
Wire Stripper
Reamer
Sewing Eye
Corkscrew
Keyring
Toothpick
Tweezers
Toothpick
Tweezers
Ballpoint Pen
Stainless Steel Pin
Mini Screwdriver

Maybe also a device to get Scouts out of horse’s hooves and something to get drones out of the sky.

Thanks Duncan. I’ve been trying to work out how my garage roof came to be damaged recently. Maybe it has been hit by a drone, which seems more plausible than some of the other explanations I had come up with.

I have no hesitation in believing that Amazon would use delivery drones for upselling; this is fully in line with their existing marketing techniques.

I think if I noticed a drone encircling our house and filming it I would try to bring it down. Again, I feel that such action by Amazon would be a contravention of the CAA code of practice for drone flying. Amazon, of course, would plead that they had consent by virtue of their contract to deliver a parcel – but in my view that consent would not stretch to carrying out a surveillance exercise for a sales purpose.

The only thing that makes me dubious is that every drone has to be controlled from the operating base. Since the use of drones for deliveries is to save money on vans and drivers, would the company really want to tie up lots of staff controlling the drones and guiding them around your property looking for maintenance problems?

I think building surveyors could make good use of drones, though, to inspect roofs, chimney stacks, guttering and other hidden parts of buildings.

A hosepipe might do the trick, but as the drone probably records you, would you be in the wrong for destruction of someone else’s property, or the owner of the drone for invading someone else’s personal property?

A hosepipe is a very good idea – it’s always at the ready in the garden at this time of the year and we have very good water pressure.

I would plead self-defence and protection of our property from an alien invader. If I brought the drone down I would put it in the rubbish bin. The images, of course, would still be transmitted back to the control room and I would tough it out with Amazon. An Englishman’s home . . . and all that. I think there would be widespread support for a defiant stand.

John said The only thing that makes me dubious is that every drone has to be controlled from the operating base

Actually, Amazon’s plans are to use SatNav for precise targeting, so remote control wouldn’t be necessary. Not sure if it’ll ever take off in the UK, though, although it’s already happening elsewhere. Hard enough to get some delivery companies to leave a parcel around the back when we’re out.

Beats a previously mooted idea, which was to use Ballistic delivery. Parcels would have been launched in a large gun-like mechanism and then parachuted down for the final twenty feet or so.

How precise is SatNav? I expect we shall have to look for our books in the garden pond. With luck they’ll land on a lily pad.

🙂 Worrying, isn’t it?

Some people have to look in their recycling bin when goods are delivered by courier services.

We do now. Yodel (our most loathed carrier) once dropped a box set of DVDs at a friend’s farm, and left it in the barn. He only discovered it several weeks later, by which time Amazon had sent a replacement.

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One site suggests a best accuracy of 3 metres. However, like delivery drivers, it might well leave it with a neighbour, deliberately or otherwise, but presumably without the means of sticking a card through your letterbox.

What happens if you live in a multi-storey building and your windows are closed?

Maybe this is what N. Korea are really developing.

Love this: “delivering the latest nukes – within a foot-to your door”. Not sure a few feet will matter either way with a nuke 🙂 I’d hope it would be at least gift wrapped.

Any drone approaching our front door will almost certainly infringe the CAA code of practice [which I believe is going to be made mandatory if it isn’t already]. In any case, the last place we want our delivery is within a foot of the front door where any passer-by could help themself. I shall withhold consent for delivery by drone.

We had a UPS delivery the other day; what a pleasure to see the job done properly, courteously and smartly [their tracking report could be more precise though and give a closer time frame than ‘late in the day’].

I think the notification of delivery will be via e-mail rather than old-fashioned postcards through the letter box with all the info on them at a glance – that is so Royal Mail!

When we first moved to our current place the woodpigeons would attempt to build a nest in the chimney, and each day we returned home to a pile of sticks in the hearth.

It’s not a bad idea to have a cowl or bird guard on your chimney wavechange. A squirrel came down our chimney and luckily went straight out the open back door.